Volume 11, Number 4
Jun 1987

Formaldehyde

There is growing concern among conservators about the effect of
formaldehyde and its deterioration products on museum artifacts (see
the report of the AIC meeting in this issue). Last November, at the
Harpers Ferry Regional Textile Group's 8th symposium, in Washington,
DC, there were two papers on the problem: "The Problem of
Formaldehyde in Museum Collections," by Jane Carpenter and Pamela
Hatch-field; and "Plywood as a Storage and Display Case Material,"
by Ann Brooke Craddock. The first two authors, Hatchfield and
Carpenter, have now published a book, Formaldehyde: How Great
is the Danger to Museum Collections? It only has 44 pages,
but it only costs $5.00. It is available from:

The information sheet that Michael Connolly had at the AIC
meeting was called "Creating Micro Environments in Airtight
Cabinets: A Warning." It is accompanied by a sheet giving directions
for a colorimetric assay procedure adapted from the cosmetics
industry. For a copy, write Michael D. Connolly, Conservation Dept.,
Indianapolis Museum of Art, 1200 West 38th St., Indianapolis, IN
46208.

Formaldehyde is a health hazard too. OSHA has proposed reducing
the existing 8-hour tine-weighted average (TWA) exposure limit from
three parts per million to either 1 ppm or 1.5 ppm, and to set an
action level of either 0.5 ppm or 0.75 ppm TWA. There is growing
evidence that it is a carcinogen. Besides its many industrial uses,
it is used as a disinfectant, preservative and hardening agent. Its
use in building construction (ureaformaldehyde foam insulation,
plywood and particle board) makes it a major contributor to the
indoor air pollution problem. Outgassing of formaldehyde doubles for
every 6°C or 30% RH rise.